The Lower Mainland city of Mission, B.C., will reroute heavy truck traffic out of its downtown core, as part of a road improvement project led by the provincial government that will commence later this year.

“Businesses, customers and residents have expressed concerns for many years about the interface between large trucks and pedestrians,” mayor Paul Horn told TruckNews.com. “Noise and dust are often identified as particular issues, but so are challenges such as exiting from parking spaces.”

Horn said the city’s Candlelight Parade this weekend is an example of downtown street closures during civic events that affect traffic. He added that there are also issues when a lane must be shut, to install new streetlights for example.

At the heart of the project is improving the city’s intersections at Highway 7 and Murray Street, and Glasgow Avenue and Horne Street so they can accommodate commercial vehicles headed for Highway 7 or 11, according to a city press release.

Horn said the new bypass “will allow trucks to continue traveling through our community efficiently and safely without compromising the walkability of the downtown core.”

Improving traffic flow

Conversations surrounding heavy traffic and First Avenue have been ongoing in the community for years. A business engagement process led by the City of Mission in 2021 saw most business owners in favour of keeping heavy trucks off First Avenue.

The new trucking route is being delivered in parallel with the South Mission Integrated Planning Study announced by the province earlier this fall. The province will also be completing design work to improve traffic flow at the intersection of Highway 7 and 11, the news release said.

Don Dauphney, managing partner at Mission-based Urban Valley Transport sees the rerouting in a positive light. His company offers routed, rush or same-day delivery throughout the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley.

“Moving semi tractors from the downtown area will free up space for our vehicles to make their deliveries,” he told TruckNews.com.

Pinch point

Horn said many single-axle large trucks divert around downtown because it is a pinch point for them as well, with pedestrians, cars parked along streets, two additional traffic signals and a 40 km/h speed limit.

“Tandem vehicles and those with longer wheelbases, do not have the option of avoiding our downtown, but these improvements will give them the ability to use the bypass route,” he said.

Dauphney, who has lived in Mission all his life, says he will be happy if the rerouting works efficiently, and trucks can bypass the downtown area. “Mission is a small town, and even for passenger vehicles, there are always problems trying to park,” he said.

The province will tender the project later this fall, and work is expected to be completed by summer 2024.